The Steel Alchemist
by cobbled-together-envy
Summary: Anna Price, a 14-year-old alchemist, finds herself in the desert city of Liore. Blah blah blah. I can't write summaries. So, please read, and comment!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A blue sky, nothing else. No clouds, no nothing. Today should be interesting. But, what else to expect in the middle of a desert? I looked around, squinting, trying to make out any civilizations nearby, but to no avail. I hoped that there was somewhere nearby that I could sleep comfortably and not need to transmute whenever I needed water. But, as I said, I'm in the middle of the desert and I don't expect to find even a nomad wandering around here- there's not been even a blade of grass since about three days ago, and I'm tired of eating whatever I can transmute from sand.

As I walked over a dune, sweat soaking my clothes through, I spotted a little town a little ways away, and made my way there full speed, which, I would like to inform you, is not very fast in my present dehydrated state.

Oh yeah, introductions. Name's Anna- Anna Price, to be exact. I'm an alchemist from Dublith, South Amestris. My alchemy teacher's name is Izumi Curtis. Now, I'm not telling you anymore personal information except that I'm fourteen and am preparing to become a "dog of the military", but there's something standing in my way- my train on the way to Central HQ crashed and now I'm stranded in the desert. Well, I was stranded up until I saw that little town down there.

Water. The only thought on my mind, aside from sleep and food. It kept running around my head, dizzying and urgent. Urgent enough to trick me into accidentally trying to scoop out some strange brown liquid

"Hey, you!"

I spun around to see an older man with a graying mustache and wearing an apron come striding towards me, shaking his head. "How many times do I have to tell you people- _don't touch that stuff! _It can barely be called wine anymore!"

I stood there, blinking at him, at a loss for words.

"Oh, you must be an out-of-towner! Sorry 'bout that… How about you come over here and take a load off your feet. I'll fill you in on where you are."

Sitting at the little bar the man owned, I ordered a cup of water for eighteen cenz. A pretty good deal, if you ask me. But before anything else, I needed to make something straight with this guy.

"Sir, about how old would you say I am?"

The man looked at me, surprised. "Well, um, I'd say you're about twenty, give or take a few. Why?"

"Aww, crap. Sorry sir, but I'm fourteen. But," I added at his expression, "I get mistaken for someone older all the time, so don't worry." He rubbed the back of his head, apologizing fervently.

"Good morning, everyone! I hope everything's going fine here- I just helped clean up the remnants of an uprising a few blocks down."

"Ah, Rose! Glad to see your spirits are up! I knew something was going on down there- I doubt anyone in the all of Liore slept last night!"

A girl wearing a simple white, sleeveless dress and sandals came walking up to the bar, her dark brown hair and pink bangs swishing to the rhythm of her steps. "Rose, I'd like you to meet…"

I stuck out my hand ad she shook it. "Anna. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Rose Thomas. How'd you wind up here?"

I grinned, shrugging. "It's a long story, really."

"Well, how about you come to my place, and you'll tell me what happened. Three visitors within a two-month period. It's a record! Not to mention faux prophets."

In Rose's house, I sat down in her kitchen and told her how I found my way here, all the while filling and re-filling my cup of water.

"So, that's it. Nothing too interesting."

Rose smiled. "Well, you were able to cross the desert without help. That's a feat in itself!"

"Well, now that that's that, would you mind if I washed up? There's sand in places I wish it wasn't…"

"Sure, follow me." Rose led me into the bathroom and set up a bath, humming.

"Say, Rose? You mentioned an uprising, what exactly did you mean by that?"

Rose turned to me, a frown dancing on her lips. "Last month, two boys came meandering into here from the desert, like you. Their names were Edward and Alphonse Elric. A year ago, a man named Father Cornello came into town, claiming to be the Sun God Leto's emissary. He fixed up town, which at the time was almost a dirt hole with buildings, and brought us prosperity, all the while tricking us into following a new religion- Letoism, which was just a trick for him to have an "army of soldiers that wouldn't be afraid to die for him" so that he could take over Amestris. Eventually, Ed and Al exposed him as a fraud who was just using the Philosopher's Stone to trick us into thinking he could do miracles. Now, he's returned, or so some people think, but I know better. It's a fake. Some people are on the same mind track as me, but some believe that he's actually back, and that's what the uprisings are about. Anyway, your bath is ready, and I set out some clean clothes for you to wear when you get out- if they don't fit, just tell me."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing how the clothes looked on me. _Wow… they fit perfectly… _

"So, how do they fit?" Rose poked her head into the room and looked at how the clothes fit on me. "Sorry- I had to give you C-Cain's old clothes, seeing as I barely have enough as it is. I suppose you'd prefer a dress over pants and a long-sleeve button up, but you'll just have to be okay with it."

I grinned, tucking the gray button up into my khaki pants. "Nah- actually, I'd take pants over skirts or dress any day -no offense, Rose, they look amazing on you- 'cuz their easier to run in. You never know when you're going to need to run from something, and I'm guessing here that's kind of important. I mean- you don't want to be caught in an uprising wearing a long dress, trip and be bludgeoned to death by one of the people who think that guy Cornello's back."

"I suppose that's true, but I'm not fast either way, and I don't plan to get involved in anything dangerous anytime soon, but seeing as you're an alchemist- yes, I know that, I saw your gloves," she said at my expression. "Anyway, seeing as you're an alchemist, you're probably going to get into some fights while you're here, and pants are probably more convenient for you. Heck, I could use your help with the uprisings!"

I grinned at her, rolling up the sleeves so I could move my arms easier. "Hey, what's that fountain about? It's filled with that crazy dark maroon-brown colored slush."

"While Father Cornello was still here, he funded that fountain, which, day and night, was flowing with red wine. After Ed and Al exposed him, he disappeared, most likely died, more like, the funds for the wine ran out, and people came flocking to bring home what they could. What's left has obviously become polluted."

"Oh I see. So, he kind of indirectly bribed you guys with wine and other phony preachings into becoming his slaves/soldiers."

"Yes. Anyway, I'll show you around town if you'd like. It might come in handy." Rose took my hand and led me out of her house.

"Oh yeah, Rose, you said that you gave me 'Cain's old clothes'. Who's Cain?"

Rose's face suddenly went from happy and kind to looking like there was no hope left in her at all. I waved my hands in front of me, not wanting to upset her within the first twenty-four hours of our meeting. "I'm sorry, if it's something private I-"

Rose's voice was deadpan. "Cain is my late boyfriend. He died last year in an accident. I'd prefer not to talk about that now. Maybe later."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize- anyway, let's get on with that tour!"

After being shown every inch of the desert city of Liore, including the old Leto temple, we returned to Rose's house and I was filled in on Cain. "No one saw the accident, and no one survived either, so we don't know exactly what happened. All I know, anyway, is that Cain was found dead, along with five of his friends. I remember that they had gone out to the bar, and before he left, he promised me that he'd come back safely." Now Rose's voice went from emotionless to cracking and slowly getting higher. Tears dripped down into her tea, making little plopping noises. "I'm sorry," she said, smiling and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know I really shouldn't be telling you about all my problems- I got a bit carried away."

"No, it's fine. It kind of makes me think of when my brother died. He was an alchemist, like me, and he was training with the same alchemy teacher I had. He stayed at her house for months at a time- the longest stretch was nine months long. About four years into his alchemy training, he was returning home to visit, and was killed. He was found by the side of the road laying in a pool of blood. According to the police, his skull was crushed in, but there were no signs of damage on his skin, except for the blood, of course."

"I'm sorry. That's horrible."

"No, don't apologize. That was four years ago. I've gotten over it." I looked down into my cup, smiling and forcing back tears. It was the first time I'd ever told anyone about my brother's death.

"I don't think you have. You can't get over a death. You can get happier and return to the things you enjoy doing, you can pretend that you forgot it. But you'll never "get over it". That person was a part of your life that fell away. No matter how strong you are, you'll never be able to get over that."

I stared at Rose, surprised. "What do you mean?" I asked, knowing full well that she was right. "His death doesn't bother me anymore."

Rose sighed. "Anna, you know what I mean. I can tell by the way you're not making eye contact that it still bothers you. You're trying not to cry- that's why your voice was just cracking."

"You- you're wrong... I've gotten over it, I know I have..." But I proved myself wrong by my tears running down my cheeks, dropping into my tea just like Rose's, coming faster and faster, refusing to stop, to slow down, to stop making me remember the tears that were flowing the day my brother's body was found. Without hesitating, I started telling Rose about it.

~Four years earlier~

There was a banging on the door and I familiar voice sounded, panicked. "Missus Price? Missus Price? Are you there? Missus Price?"

"Who is it?" My mother waked up to the door, poised to open it.

"It's me, Ronald. I need to tell you something, open the door now!" Ronald banged on the door a couple more times, urgently. "Open up before I break the door down!" Ronald was our mailman, and a family friend.

"Okay, Ronald, okay, calm down. How urgent could this possibly be? Just let me find the key..." My mother was known among the neighbors for locking the door inside and out.

I peeked out of the window, having heard voices over Ronald's banging and my mother searching for her keys. Two men walking up the hill that our house stood on were carrying something wrapped in a black cloth. Something tall and thin. I remembered Ronald's banging and panicked voice and everything inside me turned numb. "Mommy, watch out." I walked into the kitchen and took out the thinnest, sharpest object I could find and stuck it into the lock. Thanks to my brother, I was a pro at picking locks and could probably survive in the wild on my own for a while.

After a moment, the door swung open, and the men were at the top of the hill, still carrying that package. I was certain of it- I got a letter the other day saying that he was coming to visit. But it couldn't be. It's not possible…!

"Missus Price, James… James was murdered earlier today. Your son is dead."


	3. Apologies

My apologies everyone for not uploading for such a long time! I've gotten stuck on some dialogue and I haven't been able to figure out what to have the character say (-_-) sorry. But I promise to try and get at least one chapter up between now and the end of the month! If school work permits!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I don't remember what happened next, but when I came back to reality, my head was in my hands, tears pouring down my arms. Rose was hugging me, and leading me into the bedroom where I'd be staying. As I sat down, the doorbell rang, and Rose went to answer it, leaving me a crying heap on the bed.

"Hey, Rose. I hope you don't mind us dropping in! We were bored, and I didn't feel like hearing my mechanic yell at me for not taking care of my automail again, so we decided to come here."

"Edward! Alphonse! Sure, come in, I have some tea ready."

"Really? Were you expecting someone?" Alphonse said, putting the trunk Ed forced him to carry next to the door.

"I actually have someone in the back room, but she's not doing too well right now, so if you just sit in here I'll see if she wants to come out yet."

As Ed and Al sat down, Rose came walking into the room I was in. "Do you want to come out? Two of my friends are here, and I think you'll like them."

I nodded and rubbed my eyes, which were red and puffy, and followed Rose into the dining room/ kitchen. My first thought about the two was that they must be two brothers that are part some kind of family performing group. I mean, who walks around completely encased in armor? And in the desert at that. "Who're you guys?"

The younger one grinned at me and stuck out his hand for me to shake. "Edward Elric." He said as I gripped his hand.

"Alphonse Elric." The older one said as I shook his armor-encased hand.

"My name's Anna Pr- wait WHAT?! The _Elrics_?! Like, the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother?"

The younger one smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Looks like out reputation's arrived before we did, Al."

I gawked at the armor-boy. "No _wonder _they call you the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"Um….. Miss Anna? Look behind you, please."

I turned my head to see a red pipsqueak with what looked like steam coming out his ears and nose. It took me a minute for me to realize that it was Edward.

"WOAH! Holy cow what's wrong? If you need to go, the bathroom's down the hall."

"I'M THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! NOT HIM! ME!"

I took a step back. "What? I thought it was the older brother!" I looked to my side and saw Rose standing there, holding a mug and smiling.

"I AM the older brother! He's a _year y_ounger than me!"

I looked at Rose for help. "He's right." She said, smiling. "Ed and Al have had their share of problems, also. Truthfully, I thought Ed was younger the first time I met them, too."

"Oh. Sorry. Do you get that a lot?"

"Ed will never admit it, but yes, we do. Anyway, I bet you're wondering why we're like this. Ed, _calm down!_"

As Ed sat down and accepted a cup of tea from Rose, emphasizing that he didn't want _any _milk in it, I nodded at Alphonse. "I was wondering why you were wearing armor."

"Well," Alphonse said, taking the head of the armor off and bending over. "You could say I _am _the armor." It was empty. There was no younger brother in the suit of armor, only a seal written in blood on the inner back. _A transmutation circle. _I thought, looking at the design. _Wait, that's no transmutation circle. That's a blood seal!_

** Sorry that the chapter's so short. I've run out of ideas for now, so I'm going to take a small break on this until I can get some more ideas. I had forgotten what Al's blood seal looked like, so I just looked up some pictures and tried drawing it. Let's just say it looks nothing like Arakawa-san/ FUNimation's blood seal****:/ it's all distorted and the circle is more like a blob X.X****Anyway, watch for whenever I post the next chapter!**


	5. -- sorry, people

Hey people reading this story! I probably won't be uploading for a while, because

1) I'm really busy

2) I'm working on the story _Dreamland _on Fictionpress/Wattpad for a Scholastic competition next year, and I need to get further unless I want to go crazy.

So, my apologies, and if I ever get back to these (the stories I'm posting this on), I promise that it'll be awesome

-_- really sorry, people.

~cobbled-together-envy


End file.
